


A knights reflection

by Kaithewolfgirl



Series: Fe3H shipping oneshots [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Drunken Kissing, F/M, naked kissing, theres a hot spring cuz why not, this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:14:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23111521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaithewolfgirl/pseuds/Kaithewolfgirl
Summary: Christophe's killer has caught Ashes eye. what next?
Relationships: Catherine/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Series: Fe3H shipping oneshots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648780
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	A knights reflection

Ashe had been in school the first time he met Catherine. She had been assigned to accompany the Blue Lions on their monthly mission. It wasn’t a happy memory. The look on his adoptive father’s face as Catherine plunged Thunder Brand into his neck was still something that haunted his dreams.  
Catherine later told him she was the one who hunted down his stepbrother Christophe and handed him over to the church.  
“He was too trusting for his own good.” She had said. It was a nasty situation and Catherine ultimately let him die. She was too decisive to do otherwise. That’s how Catherine explained the situation when he confronted her.  
She had invited him to take a swing at her. Goaded him into it, even. He whaled on her until he was out of breath. It didn’t make him feel any better, but it might have helped her.  
Then the war happened. Adrestia invaded Faerghus and threw the continent into chaos for five long years. Ashe and Catherine fought alongside each other as knights. Allies. Friends even.  
Even after the violence ended and the efforts to rebuild the kingdom commenced he couldn’t completely forgive her.  
Catherine was understanding of his grudge. She did not regret her actions, but that wasn’t to say they didn’t sadden her.  
The long conversations they had at the monastery training grounds gave him more closure than injuring or killing her ever would.  
He didn’t forgive her, and maybe never would. But he still wanted to get to know her, as a friend. It’s not like living in the past would bring Lord Lonato or Christophe back to him.  
It started with her taking him out to dinner. Helping the townsfolk near Garreg Mach rebuild was exhausting work. Catherine had formed a temporary guard to maintain law and order while Ashe laboured away in the farmers’ fields. Both of them could use a break.  
Catherine was an excellent conversation partner. Especially after a bottle of wine split between the two.  
“Ashe, in all the years I’ve known you, deep down, you haven’t changed.” Catherine leaned her head on her hand.  
Ashe chuckled. His cheeks were pink. As much of a knight he had become, he could not keep up with Seiros’s veterans.  
They talked into the night about whatever sprung to mind. Her family. His family. His siblings. Plans for the future. Edible plants. New weapon designs. Horseback riding.  
She was like this one knight in one of his stories. The one where a lady knight tossed her philandering husband out of a window. Tough. No nonsense. Decisive. But kind. And with such nice eyes.  
She ended up walking him home. Which at this point in time was his old room at the monastery.  
“See you tomorrow? I’m on guard duty.” Ashe asked her.  
“I’ll look forward to it” She smiled.

Several weeks passed. The town surrounding the monastery was starting to look like a town again. Children were playing in the streets. Vendors set up in the marketplace. Buildings were still in shambles but there were no longer piles of debris everywhere.  
Since Lord Lonato had no biological children left, he was to inherit leadership of house Gaspard. Knighthood was one thing, but running a fiefdom was another.  
The people were receptive to having a local leader after the chaos of war. However, they distrusted his youth and background as a commoner.  
Catherine had been a former noble and outlaw. He wrote her nearly every day on subjects from political maneuvering to finding a suitable head butler.  
It was a stressful, hazy blur but he eventually managed to get the affairs of house Gaspard in order. Ashe found he preferred to work on the ground rather than from a tower.  
He should consider himself lucky. While the climate was cold, the land was nowhere near as barren as Margrave Gautier or Duke Fraldarius’s territory.  
There was a small man-made hot spring behind the manor. It had apparently been built by Lord Lonatos’ fathers’ second wife. The hot spring had fallen into disrepair after Lonato died, but several house mages had gotten it working with a little effort.  
A bountiful fall harvest distracted the common people from their doubles and Ashe was able to relax a little.  
Catherine had been busy with Garreg Mach’s new archbishop. As much work as he had needed to do, he couldn’t imagine what his former professor would be going through.  
As fall became winter, Catherine offered to pay him a visit. Ashe suggested she come by for the Feast of the Winter Star. She suggested she arrive a few days before and stay for a week.  
He had butterflies in his stomach thinking about her arrival.  
Catherine arrived several days before the Feast of the Winter Star.  
Ashes younger siblings Maggie and Sean had gone hunting for the day. This left him at home to smooth over dinner preparations and wait around in anticipation. It had been months since he had planned anything beyond pie and root vegetables for dinner. The opulence of lordship made him uncomfortable at times.  
It was late in the afternoon and starting to get dark.  
His stomach flopped when he caught sight of her riding up over the hill. Both rider and horse were clearly tired from the journey. He took her horse and ushered her inside. The mansion could be drafty, but his servants had been hard at work with the fireplaces. If all else failed, they could dip into the hot spring outside.  
They were soon seated in a common area with goblets of spiced mead in hand.  
“You would not believe the journey up here.” Catherine started. “I happened across a wanted criminal. Except he was frostbitten and delirious. Fortunately, I was able to drop him off at the next town. It’s funny that he was smart enough to evade capture for months only to go charging out into the wilderness wearing nothing but a fleece coat and some slippers.”  
She was sitting close to him. Or was it just his imagination?  
He felt his cheeks warm. Hopefully she didn’t notice.  
The smells of meat roasting away wafted into the room.  
She looked so different without armour. Her body was muscular and well proportioned. She would look even better without clothes at all. The thought intruded into Ashe’s mind.  
He mentally shook himself and refocused on the conversation.  
His younger siblings came into the room at that moment. Both were pink-cheeked from being out in the snow.  
“No luck today.” Maggie sighed as the two of them settled in around the fire.  
Ashe introduced Catherine to his younger siblings.  
“You must be that knight of Seiros Ashe told us about,” Sean said while extending his hand.  
“He talked about you. All the time.” Maggie grinned.  
They made amicable conversation and eventually dinner rolled around.  
A pair of roasted swans took centre place on the red-clothed table. Surrounding it were several cuts of beef and oven grilled root vegetables.  
More spiced mead had been brought out, as well as several varieties of nice wine. This was a special occasion, after all.  
Maggie immediately helped herself some creamed celery and nuts.  
Sean interjected. “Aren’t we supposed to say grace to the goddess first?” Sean interjected. “We have a knight of Seiros at our table!”  
Maggie immediately straightened herself out.  
Catherine, finishing up her own grace, chuckled. “It’s good to give thanks to the goddess, but I don’t mind.”

Dinner consisted of light but cheerful banter that got increasingly silly as more alcohol was consumed.

“Urg, I don’t feel so good.” Maggie got up from her chair and patted her stomach. “I’m not used to drinking. I think I’m going to head to bed.”

“Oh, but we haven’t had dessert yet!” Sean announced.  
“Save some for me for morning. Goddess, I think I’m going to barf.”  
Ashe hopped up on his feet. His vision blurred slightly. He guided his sister up to his room and sent for some tea and a bucket.  
Maggie groaned.  
He sat with her for several minutes and rubbed her back.  
“I swear I’ll never drink again.” She slurred.  
His younger sister fell asleep soon after that. Ashe returned to the dining hall.

Catherine and Sean were each enjoying a slice of strawberry pie. Both had cups of bergamot tea in hand.

She whispered something in Sean’s ear and he burst into fits of laughter.

Ashe, feeling slightly more sober, reseated himself at the table.  
“Sorry about that.” He said to Catherine. “We don’t drink much in this house.”  
Catherine smirked. “I can see that.”  
Sean smacked her in the shoulder indignantly.  
Catherine had at least an entire bottle to herself. She was flushed and sociable, but otherwise none the worse for wear.

They finished dessert. Catherine and Sean had slid from lighthearted banter into crude jokes. Not unlike the ones he heard in the soldier’s barracks during the war.  
Admittedly the one about the knight errant caught in a fence was pretty funny.

Eventually Sean bade them goodnight, for he finally admitted that he too, was a lightweight.  
It was just Ashe and Catherine.  
Catherine got up and enveloped him in a large hug. His face was flushed from drink so she hopefully wouldn’t notice him blushing.  
“Thanks for inviting me! It’s been ages since I’ve been to dinner like this. Reminds me of home.”  
Ashe patted her on the back.  
“N-nice having you.” He smiled and leaned into her. They stood like that for a few minutes.  
Catherine let go finally.  
“Hey, I saw the hot spring you had out back. I meant to ask earlier if we could go in. I’m very sore from travelling.”  
Before Ashe could reply she was at the front door with her boots on.  
He followed her out to the steaming pool.  
He had memories of him and his siblings when they were young. Christophe splashing him, Maggie relaxing after a long day of work in the stables…  
“Race you in!” Catherine called playfully.  
She stripped off her under armour, paused for a second, and did away with her smallclothes as well.  
Ashe flushed beet red.  
She hopped in with a small splash.  
“Hey, um-“ Ashe started.

“Come on in! The waters the perfect temperature!”  
“I have an extra bathing suit if-“  
“For Goddess’s sake, just get in.”  
Ashe stripped down and slid quickly into the water. 

Even in his drunken state, he was thankful for the clouds of steam. He hoped Catherine couldn’t see too much.  
Her form was so graceful. Majestic even. Droplets fell from her blonde hair as she shook out her ponytail.  
He hoped she couldn’t see anything his body was doing. Instinctively, he crossed his legs.  
Catherine drifted along to sit next to him.  
Even with the fog of alcohol in his head, Ashe felt his heart pound.  
Catherine would certainly be more experienced with him. Her confidence suggested so.  
“You’ve become a very handsome young man Ashe.” She touched her shoulder to his.  
This was every fantasy of Ashes come to life. Not of Catherine in particular, but of sharing the night with a beautiful strong lady. Something he thought attainable only by the knights in his books.  
He reached forward and picked up her hand. She squeezed back.  
Ashe shivered.  
“Um, Catherine?”  
“Ever since, oh, I dunno. I’ve felt something for you. I used to hate you for what happened to Christophe, but I just can’t anymore. And that grew. But, um, I ever since that day in the monastery, I’ve-”  
“Yes..?” Catherine tilted her head slightly and smirked.  
“Well, you’re very beautiful and I’ve always had you in my mind. I think I love you.”  
Ashe paused and his eyes widened.  
“Well not love just yet, but um, oh I’m messing this up.”  
Ashe lowered his eyes to his feet.  
Catherine beamed. “Ashe, I know what you are trying to say. You used to be just some kid, but now… heh.”  
She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.  
He made a small involuntary noise in his throat.  
There was a pause. And then both of them went in for the lips.  
Ashe made contact on her nose, her on his chin.  
“Oh, goddess. Ashe, hold still would you?”  
He felt her soft lips on his, smelled cinnamon and nutmeg and wine on her breath. Ashe felt goosebumps prick his skin. It was almost like wiggling his toes in sand, but far more exciting.  
Her chest pressed up against his. Her hands started on his back. Then began moving downward. On this chest, then his stomach, then to the trail of hair below his navel.  
He put his hands on hers. The cold air must be sobering him up.  
She pulled away from him. “That’s enough?”  
He nodded. “Catherine, I like you a lot, I just-“

“You don’t want to rush things. I get it.”  
Catherine’s hands settled on his waist and she leaned back into his lips.  
Her touch was soft but hungry, lips warm and supple. He leaned forward into the kiss, relishing the feel of heat. Ashe thought he would melt into the hot water. A hot wave of ecstasy enveloped him.  
He brought his knees up to his chest. His lower body burned as he pulled himself closer to her.  
The thought of putting his tongue in her mouth flashed aggressively in his mind. He wanted more of her.  
Her movements on his mouth became more demanding. She probably felt the same. Cautiously, he tested the end of his tongue on her lip. Her acceptance drew him into her. His heart swelled in this chest, his stomach felt fuzzy.  
His lower half scorched white-hot. Now was not the time for this.  
Ashe broke away from her, panting. His shoulders slumped against the edge of the spring. With a big stupid smile stuck on his face.  
“I think I want to call it a night.” Ashe sighed.  
Now he had to get out. Crud.  
They leaned against each other for a few minutes, neither really wanting to leave. Eventually, Catherine got up and gathered up her clothes.  
The Goddess had blessed her, that was for sure.  
Ashe was very thankful his siblings had gone to bed. There would be no end of teasing from Maggie if she saw them together like this.  
They didn’t bother making it to the bedrooms, but curled up together on one of the recliners in the common room. Eventually, they wound up in a messy pile of limbs  
Hours flew by and Ashe’s attention wandered. 

He felt something nudge him awake. Oh, boy, did his head hurt. He winced.  
“Morning, sunshine.” Catherine smiled broadly. “Hey, I’m sorry if I pushed you last night. I-“

“No, it’s alright,” Ashe said quietly. “I do feel that way about you.”

Catherine kissed his cheek.  
“Anyways, let’s get to bed before Sean and Maggie see us.”

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to turduckenail for providing feedback. couldn't have done it without you!


End file.
